The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has formally denied speculation that a catastrophic tsunami would strike Japan on July 5, 2025, following the resurgence of a decades-old manga prediction that recently went viral on Japanese and international social media platforms.

The panic stemmed from “Nihon Chinbotsu” (Japan Sinks), a 1973 science fiction manga by Sakyo Komatsu, which depicted an apocalyptic scenario in which the Japanese archipelago is swallowed by tectonic shifts. Fans of the manga noted eerie parallels between the fictional sequence and a recent surge in seismic activity across southern Kyushu and the Nansei Islands, where over 900 tremors were recorded in just the past two weeks. A specific frame in the manga showing a tidal wave hitting Tokyo “on July 5” became the focus of online fear-mongering, amplified by conspiracy forums and AI-generated “news warnings.”

The JMA responded directly during a Friday press briefing, stating:

“There is no scientific evidence supporting any prediction of a major earthquake or tsunami on July 5. The manga is a work of fiction. Correlating it with real tectonic activity is misleading and irresponsible.”

The agency confirmed that the recent tremors are natural seismic swarms—common in tectonically active zones—and are not precursors to a megathrust quake. Seismologist Dr. Hiroshi Nishimura at the University of Tokyo emphasized that no current monitoring tools indicate heightened tsunami risks for the Japanese coastline.

Despite these reassurances, a number of coastal schools in Shizuoka and Kagoshima Prefectures announced early dismissals “out of precaution,” and sales of emergency kits reportedly spiked by over 400% on Rakuten and Amazon Japan this week.

Government spokesperson Ayako Tanaka also cautioned against relying on “internet folklore” for disaster preparedness:

“We urge citizens to monitor only official JMA bulletins and not fictional stories or AI-generated hoaxes. Japan is highly prepared for seismic events, and there is no tsunami warning issued.”

The event has reignited debate around disaster anxiety in Japan, where memories of the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami and nuclear crisis remain fresh. Some psychologists say viral doomsday theories are an expression of collective trauma, particularly among younger generations who have grown up with constant earthquake drills.

As of now, all seismic monitoring stations remain at normal alert levels, and no evacuation orders or tsunami advisories have been issued by JMA.